This invention is directed to the providing of a suitable container which is designed to be utilized in combination with Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear (MOPP gear). The container structure is not part of the MOPP gear nor does it supply any protection for the user, but it is only intended to supplement the MOPP gear currently being utilized.
MOPP gear is utilized by individuals to protect the wearer against the harmful effects of nuclear, chemical or biological warfare or chemical or nuclear accidents. MOPP gear can be utilized by civilians as well as persons in military service. Civilian applications where MOPP gear is used would include the chemical industry, the health and safety industry, and persons engaging in survivalist-type outdoor activities.
MOPP gear is comprised of an overgarment consisting basically of a pair of trousers and a jacket, a pair of overboots, a pair of gloves and a mask/hood. The overboots are worn, as the name indicates, over boots or the normal footwear. Depending on the type of situation, an individual may need to don only the overgarment, or the overboots in combination with the overgarment, or the mask/hood, overboots and overgarment or all the components of MOPP gear. As can be appreciated from a consideration of the circumstances which accompany the potential need to use MOPP gear, the severity of the situation can undergo drastic and immediate change.
To ensure the safety of those exposed to chemical nuclear or biological contaminants, standards have been established with respect to the time in which a person must don his or her MOPP gear to avoid the potential for harm. The threshold standard which has been established is one which requires the MOPP gear to be put on in a particular order within a time constraint of less than 8 minutes. The problem is compounded, however, by the fact that individuals carrying MOPP gear may also be involved in other tasks which necessitate the use of their hands. To better understand the problem, currently for example, the mask/hood utilized in MOPP gear is distributed to users in a carrying case. However, no such provisions are made with respect to the other components of MOPP gear. Current methods of taking MOPP gear into situations where it may be needed include (1) holding the MOPP gear in one or both hands, (2) putting the MOPP gear in a plastic bag and slinging it over one's shoulder or (3) using the laces of the overboots to tie all the MOPP gear together, and then secure it by means of the laces to an individual's belt.
The only known attempt to develop a container for storage of all the MOPP gear has resulted in a device similar to a minibackpack with the unit being worn in a position such that it would be adjacent the small of the back. None of these proposed solutions to the problem is efficient. The capability of the individual to use his or her hands is severely curtailed when using either of the first two options. Meanwhile, attempting to utilize the latter two options results in a time-consumming experience in the event that the MOPP gear must be worn, with time being crucial.
Given the increasing frequency of nuclear and chemical accidents, and the threat of nuclear, chemical, or biological warfare, a device which will accelerate the dressing process and enhance an individual's chances for survival is desperately needed.